Falling For you
by Gwise87
Summary: Short story. Korra and Asami wake up after their first night in the Spirit World, and we flashback to their relationship, how they fell in love, and their first time with each other. Canon pairing, some foreplay but nothing explicit. Complete. R & R, Please.


Falling For You

Asami was the first to wake up.

The ethereal light of the spirit world was shining brightly into the mouth of the cave, but the end wall curved like a tunnel, and at the corner where they were lying it was still relatively dark. Their bags were neatly stacked against the wall but there was no fire; it hadn't been necessary. The cave was cool but not cold; and there was even an unnatural wind that kept the air flowing.

They had spread out their blankets near the far side, away from the light so as to sleep in peace.

That hadn't happened, though.

Asami Sato drew a deep breath, and felt happier than she had in a long time. Korra, curled up next to her, let out a snore, still fast asleep.

Korra.

In some part of her mind, Asami knew that this was real, it was really happening, that last night _hadn't_ been a dream. But her conscious mind was still struggling to accept it as reality. I wasn't real. It _couldn't_ be. _Maybe it's just a dream. Maybe I'll wake up in the mansion alone, and she'll be gone_.

_It doesn't matter;_ answered another voice in her head. _I'll stay in the dream if I have to_.

She reached over and stroked Korra's hair; it felt smooth as black silk in her fingers. _It's as beautiful as the rest of her_.

"Hmmm." Korra sighed in her sleep, rolled over and rested her head on Asami's shoulder, one arm going around her in an unconscious hug. Asami drew her closer and kissed her softly on the forehead, careful to move slowly so as not to disturb her sleep. When she drew back, however, the Avatar's eyes were open.

"Sorry." She said. "I was trying not to wake you."

"It's okay." Korra snuggled closer still, "I'm waking up next to you."

"Are you…upset about last night?"

"Did it _seem_ like I was upset?" She smiled that mischievous smile of hers.

"No." That made Asami smile, too. "I was just… afraid, I guess."

"I know. I was, too. But not any more."

'Afraid' was a very mild way of putting it. 'Terrified' would have been a more appropriate way to describe Asami when they were getting ready to bunk down for the night before; Korra had suggested that her blanket was big enough for them to share, and so they'd lain down, side by side. She could feel Korra's arm touching her elbow. Her insides felt like someone was squeezing the air out of her lungs.

"So, how do you like the spirit world so far?" Korra had seemed at ease, her head resting on her hands.

"It's weird. A couple of times I felt like the land was changing even when we were walking on it."

"It was. It gets…wonky sometimes. Don't even get me started on some of the animal spirits that live here."

"Is it like this all over?"

"Pretty much. Although I'm not sure we can describe it with 'all over' like our world. The rules are…different. There's a mountain and a forest that I want you to see, though. Maybe you can meet Iroh-aaaaah." Korra ended with a yawn, shaking her head. "Maybe tomorrow," She said.

"Good night."

"You too." Korra rolled over, her back to Asami, and she heard her yawn once more. If she had any idea of the storm that was raging in her friend's mind, she gave no indication of it.

_She's the Avatar_, said the first voice, the one that was terrified.

_She's Korra_, said another, _She asked you to the spirit world. She wanted to be here. Alone. With you._

_Maybe it doesn't mean anything._

_It means everything._

_She's the Avatar._

_Just tell her. She already knows._

Slowly, Asami reached over and put a hand on Korra's shoulder, trying her best to make it seems like a casual, callous gesture. Her heart, though, was hammering so hard it might as well have been trying to beat its way out of her chest.

Korra made no move.

Asami stroked Korra's upper arm, tracing the curve of her muscles. In the past few years she had grown nearly a head taller than the Avatar, but the latter was still more muscular and strong, her years of training having conditioned her body into a fighting machine. She worked her way up to the shoulder, which felt tense.

Korra did not move.

Collar bones, neck…

_Stop. Stop before she hates you._

Cheek, ear…

No response.

Asami pulled the short hair behind the earlobe, stroking Korra's hair, went down to her shoulder once more, and then all the way down to the forearm. She found Korra's hand, and intertwined their fingers.

A moment, and then she felt the pressure being reciprocated. Or was she just imagining it? Impossibly, her heart raced even faster.

A sharp intake of breath, loud enough to hear. A small shifting of position. And then – this time it was unmistakable – _Korra snuggled closer_.

The world blurred.

_She doesn't hate me. She never will. If she asks me to stop I will. I'd die for her if she asks._

Asami took a deep breath, and slipped her arm around Korra's waist. She felt the stomach muscles contract, but there was no move against it, nothing to indicate she should stop.

Slower still, she moved her hand upwards.

_Her heart._ She could feel it now. _It's beating as fast as mine._

And then, to her horror, Korra rolled around and their eyes met. But there was no anger there; instead Asami only saw her own pain and fear reflected in those blue pearls. Time ticked away. Neither of them said a word. They lost themselves in each other's gaze.

She crept closer, one arm around Korra. Their bodies pressed together. Their noses touched.

And then, as suddenly as a bolt of lightning from a pale blue sky, Korra moved. Asami felt a momentary pressure on her lips, and then it was gone as fast as it had happened. By the time she'd processed the quick kiss, the Avatar, _the_ Avatar, was lying there, breathing in gasps as though she'd just run for miles. Her cheeks were red, her eyes afraid, waiting to see what would happen next.

_She's as terrified as I am_.

A second later she leaned forward, their lips met, and then they were kissing, _really_ kissing, so hard and so fast and for so long that when they broke it was for air, panting for breath, still in each other's embrace. Even as her vision returned, Asami felt a hand around her shoulder, slowly pulling down her shirt…

The rest of the night had passed in a blur. There was laughing, crying, giggling, blushing and a lot more. She felt drunk on happiness; and it was good. She couldn't even remember when they had fallen asleep; or maybe they'd just passed out…

"What're you thinking?" Korra's words broke into her little flashback.

"You. Always you."

"Flatterer." Korra kissed her neck, and rested her head on Asami's shoulder, eyes closed. Asami went back to stroking her hair. They stayed like that for a while, enjoying each other's touch.

"I wasn't joking. You've… been in my head for a while now. Even when you were gone. _Especially_ when you were gone. Ever since…"

That got Korra's attention. She looked up, curious. "When?"

Asami hesitated.

"When?" There was that mischievous smile again.

"Misty Palms Oasis. When the Earth Queen captured us while we were getting away on Naga."

"I don't remember that."

"You were passed out. And I failed you."

"What?"

"I was supposed to protect you when you were in the spirit world, and I couldn't. You were lying in my arms, completely out of it, and I got us captured."

"You got us out of it, too. It was your idea to build that sand sailor from the airship. So that's when you…"

"Yes. I remember the way your body felt against me, and I – it, uh, it just…" She blushed and broke off, but Korra understood. She kissed her again, and went back to lying on her shoulder.

"What about you?" Asami asked. "When did you know?"

"It was… after I was poisoned. You were helping me get dressed, for Jinora's anointment ceremony as master, and I just wanted you to stay. I didn't want any part of the ritual, I just wanted you there. I couldn't understand it…"

"You should've said something. I remember crying myself to sleep that night. You were there, hurt, alone, and I could tell you were holding it all in, and don't tell me you weren't, because I know you better than that. And all I wanted was to hug you and say I'd never leave, but I _couldn't_ and even thinking about what _I_ was feeling when you were going through all this just made me feel worse and selfish and I – I just – why didn't you say something?"

"I didn't know how _you_ felt. It wasn't until I read your letters I started hoping you felt the same about me."

"There were days when I just wanted to jump on an airship and fly over. But you were recovering and I didn't know if that would've helped or made it worse."

"It's okay. You're here now."

They went back to silence, Korra lying on her shoulder.

"Maybe we don't have to leave." Asami said after a while. "The rules are different here, right? So maybe we can just stay…forever."

"That'd be nice. Maybe they'll find us years later, and we're just two statues, lying here like this."

"Why would we be statues?"

"I don't know. Maybe I have some Avatar magic that can make that happen? That way, you'll be with me forever."

"I _am_ yours." Asami pushed herself up on her elbow, and kissed her. "Korra, I – I don't know what this is, or how it's going to end; but everything I am, I'm yours. Forever." Her words choked a little.

Korra kissed the tear that was rolling down Asami's cheek, and their faces rested against each other, eyes closed. Korra kissed her again.

"And I'm yours," She said. "Always."


End file.
